Having ever seen, in the prenominate crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be assur'd,
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so; or friend, or gentleman,-
According to the phrase, or the addition,

Of man, and country.
Rey.

Very good, my lord.

Pol. And then, sir, does he this, -He doesWhat was I about to say?-By the mass, I was about to say something :-Where did I leave?

Rey. At, closes in the consequence.

Pol. At, closes in the consequence,-Ay, marry;

He closes with you thus:-I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,
There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse;
There falling out at tennis: or, perchance,
I saw him enter such a house of sale,
(Videlicet, a brothel,) or so forth.-
See you now;

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,

With windlaces, and with assays of bias,

By indirections find directions out;

So, by my former lecture and advice,

Shall you my son: You have me, have you not?

Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol.

God be wi'you; fare you well.

Rey. Good my lord,

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his musick.
Rey.

Well, my lord. [Exit.

Enter OPHELIA.

Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the

matter?

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so af

frighted!

Pol. With what, in the name of heaven?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet,-with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved 33 to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport,

As if he had been loosed out of hell,

To speak of horrors, he comes before me.

Pol. Mad for thy love?

Oph.

My lord, I do not know;

But, truly, I do fear it.
Pol.

What said he?

Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard;

Then goes he to the length of all his arm;

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face,
As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound,
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk,
And end his being: That done, he lets me gos
And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o'doors he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king.

This is the very ecstasy of love;
Whose violent property foredoes 34 itself,
And leads the will to desperate undertakings,
As oft as any passion under heaven,

That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,一
What, have you given him any hard words of late?
Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did command,
I did repel his letters, and deny'd

His access to me.

Pol.

That hath made him mad.

I am sorry, that with better heed, and judgement,
I had not quoted 35 him: I fear'd, he did but trifle,
And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!

It seems, it is as proper to our age

To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions,

As it is common for the younger sort

To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king:

This must be known; which, being kept close, might

move

More grief to hide, than hate to utter love.
Come.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Room in the Castle.

Enter King, Queen, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guilden.

stern!

Moreover that we much did long to see you,
The need, we have to use you, did provoke
Our hasty sending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; so I call it,
Since nor the exterior nor the inward man
Resembles that it was: What it should be,
More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from the understanding of himself,
I cannot dream of: I entreat you both,
That,-being of so young days brought up with him:
And, since, so neighbour'd to his youth and humour,-
That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time: so by your companies

To draw him on to pleasures; and to gather,
So much as from occasion you may glean,
Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,
That, open'd, lies within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of

you;

And, sure I am, two men there are not living,
To whom he more adheres. If it will please you

To show us so much gentry, and good will,
As to expend your time with us a while,

For the supply and profit of our hope,
Your visitation shall receive such thanks

As fits a king's remembrance.
Ros.

Both your majesties

Might, by the sovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleasures more into command

Than to entreaty.

Guil.

But we both obey;

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,
To lay our service freely at your feet,

To be commanded.

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guilden

stern.

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosen

crantz:

And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son.-Go, some of you,

And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our prac

Pol. The embassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully return'd.